Cantor Defeat Emboldened Tea Party Against Medicaid

Supporters of Medicaid expansion on both sides of the aisle say Eric Cantor’s defeat this week emboldened Tea Party conservatives in the General Assembly in their opposition to using federal dollars to expand health care services for the poor. At the insistence of a group conservative Republican members, the legislature inserted an amendment into the budget prohibiting Governor McAuliffe from taking executive action on Medicaid without the approval of the legislature. Governor McAuliffe says he will carefully be evaluating the budget and will take actions he deems necessary.